Reminding device



Sept. 25,1923. l,469,056

G. l. SULLIVAN I REMINDING DEVICE Filed Oct. 18. 1922 Patented Sept. 25,1923.

UNITED v s'rATEs PATENT OFFICE.

nEnmDiNG DEvIca Apmimmn ma 0mm 1a, 1822. mmm. 595,244.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, GEORGE I. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resi- (lent of the cit of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia,tate of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Reminding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to provide means forcausing a signal to be given at a predetermined future time as a.reminder that an appointed time has arrived; to provide a device whichcan be set to operate at a future hour or fraction thercof as a reminderto the user'of the device that a certain time has arrived; to provide atime Controlled signal in conjunction with a memorandum pad or calendar;

to provide a portable unit arranged to serve in an oflice, a home, ahospital, or any other place as a signalling means. to indicate a giventime has arrived for doing a certain thing, such as kecping anappointment, making ay telephone call, attendmg a meeting, or any other'thing or event; to provide means for indicating a signal has 'beenoperated in the absence of the user of a reminding device and that anappointed time has passed; and to provide other improvements as willhereinafter a pear.

In the accompanying rawings, Fig. 1 represents a side elevation in partsection of a reminding device embodying one form of the presentinvention; Fi 2 represents a plan of the same upon a rediiiced scale;Fig. 3 represents an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; F ig. 4represents a diagram of the electrical circuits; and Fig. 5 represents adetail of a portion of the circuit control contactor.

Referring to the drawings, one form of the present invention consists ofa base frame or casing 10, formed of pressed metal or any other suitablematerial arranged to provide a compartment 11, and a supporting surface12, the latter being preferably inclined in ,a suitable manner toreceive a removable leaf memorandum pad or calendar pad 13. lThe pad 13,as here shown, is mounted upon a late 14, which is arranged to beadjusted relfative to the surface 12 by means of thumb-screws 15, or anyother means, so that as the thickness of the pad is diminished by thesuccessive removal of its sheets, the to or exposed sheet always lies msubstantial y the same plane.

For the purpose of mounting a clock 16 in position so that its face isvisible, the padpad 13l and has its visible face graduated tov form adial 21 with any desired time indicatlons. These time indications arerespectively arranged to .be in radial alinementv with the correspondingtime intervals u n the face of the clock 16. The inner en of the sleeve18 is riveted or otherwise made fast to the base plate 12 of thecasing10.

The clock 16 is co-axially located in the sleeve 18, being rigidly heldby a tube 22,

which is secured to the back plate 23 of the clock and extendsloutwardly and joins a part of the casing 10. In assembled conditionthere is an annular space 25 between the clock 16 and the sleeve 18 fora purpose to be later explained.

As a means for setting the device to 've a signal at a predeterminedtime, an index arm or po-inter 26 is provided, having a free endprojecting through the space 25 into juxtaposed relation to the dial'21, while its fixed end is secured to a collar 27 fast to a rotatablecommutator 28. The body portion of the commutator 28 is of fibre, orother suitable insulating material, and hastwo conoentrically arrangedconducting rings or bushings 30 and 31, both extending from end to endof the said body' and coaxial with respect to the tube 22 upon which thecommutator is free to be rotated. The inner end of the ring 30 has anarm 32 of conductin material fixed thereon in a position to alme withthe index 26, and a similar arm of conducting material is fixed totheinner end of the ring 31, also in position to aline with the index 26though out of contact with the arrn 32. The respective arms 32 and 33carry spring-pressed contact rollers34 and 35 because each 'arm is in a;separate electrical circuit, though a common battery 36 is preferablyemployed. The outer end of the ring 30 forms a conducting path for acontactor brush 37 which is suitably mounted and held in contact withthe ring 30 at all times, While the outer end of the ring 31 similarlforms a conducting path for a contactor rush 38 which is suitablymounted and held in contact therewith. T'he commutator 28 is heldagainst axial movement by a circumferential bearing 40 in a. cap 41,which has threaded engagement with the clock plate 23. The circuit ofthe arm 32 includes a signal in the form of an electrically operatedbell 42, whilethe circ-uit of the arm 33 includes an electromagnet 43,and a common return conductor 44 leads from a spring-pressed contactroller 45 to the battery 41. This conductor 44 for convenience passesthrough the tube 22.

In order to selectively control the aforesaid circuits, a movablecontactor in the form of a disk 46 of insulating material is providedhaving a ring 47 of conducting material formed therein and concentricwith the axis of rotation. The contact roller 45 is insulated from andmounted upon the plate 23 in position to contact with the ring 47, whilethe disk 46 is rotatably mounted upon the tube 22 and is arranged to bedriven by a pinion 48 fast thereto and in mesh with a clock-wheel 50fixed to a staff 51 which drives the hour hand of the clock 16. Acontactor pin 52 is secured to`. the Adisk 46 at a distance, radiallyconsidered, equal to the radial distance of the roller contact 34 fromthe tube 22, so that the latter is in the path of movement of the pin 52and makes contact therewith at a predetermined time. The pin 52 iselectrically connected to the ring 47 by a conductor 53 or any othersuitable means- A second contactor pin 54 is secured to the disk 46 at adistance, radially considered, equal to the radial distance of theroller contact 35 from the tube 22, so that the latter is in the path ofmovement of the pin 54 and makes contact therewith at a predeterminedtime. Circumferentially considered the pin 54 is spaced a given distanceto one side of the pin 52 so that the circuit including the pin 52 isarranged to be closed a predetermined interval in advance' of thecircuit including the pin 54. The pin 54 is electrically connected tothe ring 47 by a conductor 55 or any other suitable means.

For the purpose of setting a signal to indicate the time circuitControlled by the pin 52 has passed, a shutter 56 is provided which ismounted upon an arm 57 pivoted at 58 so that when swung to operativeposition the shutter 56 will cover and conceal the face of the clock 16.The shutter 56 is arranged to swing by gravity and its limit of movementis determined by a stop 60 fixed to the casing 10 in the path of the arm57. Normally this shutter 56 is concealed by a fiange 61 of the casing10, being held thereunder by a spring hook 62 which forms the armatureof the electro-magnet 43. In use the exposed face ofthe shutter 56 willbe provided'with a notice or any suitable legend whereby the user may beinformed as to its function.

The operation of the device is as follows In assembled condition thedial 21 is screwed into position so that its time graduations areaccurately alined with the corresponding time indications of the clock16, and the device is their ready for use. For example ,it is desired tokeep an appointment at ten o'clock, so the arm or index 26 ismoved'until it stands opposite to the ten o7clock graduation upon thedial'21. This movement of the index 26 is transmitted to the commutator28 which is correspondingly moved to the designated position, which isone with the contact arms spaced a distance in advance of the pins 52and 54. As the clock staff of the hour hand moves it gradually bringsthe pin 52 nearer to the contact roller 34 and at the predeterminedtime, namely ten o,clock, they make contact and thereby close thecircuit which includes the bell 42, which then signals that the time ofthe appointment has arrived. The user ma) then again set the index foranother time of which notice is to be given and the operation isrepeated. In case the user is out or not within hearing of the signal atthe time it functions, the disk 46 continues to move with the clockmovement and within a short period it brings the second pin 54 intoengagement with the roller contact 35 whereupon the second circuit isclosed and the electromagnet 43 is energized to move the spring armature62 out of the holding or looking position and thus releases the shutter,which then moves by gravity and assumes a position covering the face ofthe clock or timepiece. IVhen the user returns this condition is noticedand the time of the ap'pointment can be checked at once. The shutter isthen manually returned to its inoperative position locked by the armaureuntil its circuit is again closed by a similar condition.

It is desirable to provide a switch 63 at a suitable place to break bothof the control circuits when the device is not in use, the4 said switchbeing located at a convenient place on the casing;` for ready accessthereto.

It will now be apparent that a complete unitary reminding device hasbeen devised wherein an automatic provision has been made for giving`notice of any desired fixed time, while the setting thereof is notlimited to hours or half-hours but can be employed accurately tofractionsthereof. Also the signal equipment in no way interferes withthe use of the pad as a memorandum device but cooperates therewith inthat the appointment is written upon the pad and the signal mechanismset at the same time.

While only a single form is shown in which the invention may beembodied, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited toany specific construction but might be employed in various forms withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appendedClaims.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim:-.

1. A reminding device comprising in combination a pad, a timepieceassociated therewith, a signal, means Controlled by said time-piece forOperating said signal at a predetermined time, and means operatingautomotically a predetermined time after said signal Operating means toindicate said signal has functioned.

2. A reminding device comprising in combination a pad, a time-pieceassociated therewith, a dial encircling said time-piece, an indexarranged to Cooperate with said dial, a commutator connected to saidindex and mounted for rotary adjustment, an electrically opcratedsignal, a Circuit including saidsignal and having a terminal connectedto said commutator, and means Controlled by said time-piece andincluding the other terminal of said Circuit for closing said circuit tooperate said signal at a predetermined time.

3. A reminding device comprising` in combination a pad, a time-pieceassociated there- With, a dial encircling said time-piece, an indexarranged to cooperate with said dial, a commutator connected to saidindex and mounted for rotary adjustment, an electrically operatedsignal, a Circuit including said signal and having a terminal connectedto said commutator, means Controlled by said time-piece and includingthe other terminal of said Circuit for closing said circuit to operatesaid signal at a predetermined time, and means also actuated by saidtimepiece Controlled means for indicating said signal has operated.

4. A reminding device Comprising in combination a pad, a time-pieceassociated therewith,v a dial graduated in timey units encircling saidtime-piece, an index arranged to Cooperate With said dial, a commutatorconnected to said index and mounted for rotary adjustment, a signal, aCircuit in- Cluding said ,signal and having one terminal connected tosaid commutator, an electromagnet, means Controlled by said magnet forsetting an indicating device, a Circuit including said magnet and havingone terminal connected to said commutator but insulated from said signalterminal, and means Controlled by said time-piece for selectivelyClosiiig said circuits.

5. reminding device comprising in Combination a pad, a time-pieceassociated there- With, a dial graduated in time units encircling saidtime-piece, an index arranged to cooperate With said dial, a commutatorconnected to said index and mounted for rotary adjustment, a signal, aCircuit including said signal and having one terminal connected to saidcommutator, an electromagnet, means Controlled by said magnet forsetting an indicating device, a'circuit including said magnet and havingone terminal connected to said commutator but insulated from said signalterminal, and means Controlled by said time-piece for suc- Cessivelvclosing said cir'cuits at predetermined times. f

6. A reminding device comprising in combination a pad, a time-pieceassociated there- With, a signal, means Controlled by said time-piecefor Operating said signal at a predetermined time, and means Operatingautomatically a predetermined time after said signal Operating means to.conceal the' face of said time-piece.

7. A reminding device Comprising in combination a pad, a time-pieceassociated there- With, means arranged to conceal the face of saidtime-piece at a predetermined time, and means Controlled by saidtime-piece for Causin said concealing means to function.

ignedat Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, State ofPennsylvania, this 17 day of October, 1922.

GEORGE I. SULLIVAN.

